Fun run gets an ‘F’ rating from the BBB, should you go?

A company with an “F” rating from the Better Business Bureau, a series of poor reviews on the Yelp app and a long chain of angry customers is aiming to bring family fun to town on Saturday.

Color Fun Fest hosts a national series of 5K races in which participants are doused with colored powder and participate in disc jockey-led festivals after reaching the finish line.

A Halloween-themed rendition of the event is scheduled to bring more than 1,000 participants to Camp Jordan in East Ridge on Saturday, but it is coming with a trail of controversy behind it.

Color Fun Fest has attracted scrutiny nationally for frequently rescheduling races or moving them to new venues for vague reasons, then sticking to a no-refund policy that customers agree to when registering for the race. It is not an illegal practice, according to the Better Business Bureau, but it has led to 38 consumer complaints to the BBB, 24 of which the company has not responded to.

Event organizers also advertise that Color Fun Fest events benefit a charity called Just Care More. The charity is run by Color Fun Fest owner Jamie Leibert and does not appear in any major nonprofit organization databases.

Contacted by a reporter, a Color Fun Fest representative said Leibert would call for a Monday interview, but he did not.

In other cities where Color Fun Fest advertised events for a specific time and location, the company reportedly began accepting registrations for runs before actually securing a venue.

But East Ridge officials say the Color Fun Fest has gone through the event-permitting process properly and has already ordered portable bathrooms for Saturday’s event.

Color Fun Fest is paying $250 to use Camp Jordan, and will pay the city a dollar for every participant, East Ridge parks and recreation director Marvin “Stump” Martin said.

“Right now, we’ve got a deal,” Martin said.

But the lack of transparency from the organization and its companion charity is a concern for local running enthusiast Sujeel Taj.

“I certainly don’t want to discourage folks from participating in events,” said Taj, who is president of the Chattanooga Track Club this year but clarified that his opinion did not represent an official stance of the club. “Anything to get people outside is a good thing; it’s just concerning when people like this are coming in. You don’t want to see the incredible generosity of Chattanoogans taken advantage of.

“Things are just better when they’re clearer.”

With Chattanooga’s national profile rising for outdoor events, local municipalities are hard-pressed to thoroughly research every company that wants to host an event.

Chattanooga-area Better Business Bureau president and CEO Jim Winsett advised that consumers look for transparency, accountability and organizational governance in nonprofit organizations with which they partner.

“If you look at their web page, you don’t have a clear picture of those things,” Winsett said of Just Care More.

Just Care More’s mission, according to its website, is focused on “taking time to show young people love and empathy while supporting their dreams, to change lives and instill hope within these kids who feel lost and desperate. Using extreme sports centered activities and sharing sessions with counselors, Just Care More is making a difference one life at a time.”

Specifics of how the organization achieves those goals are scarce on its website and Facbook page.

The website indicates it held “Just Care More Kids Club” at Expo Square in Tulsa, Okla., in July. But a marketing representative at Expo Square said the only events on the two days listed were a cattle and horse show, a home-and-gardening show and a back-to-school expo.

A New Britain, Conn., parks and recreation director had to reach out to Leibert about an event scheduled for Aug. 8, because Color Fun Fest had never sought a permit from the city, according to the FOX61 TV news channel. The event was pushed back a week and moved to a different location, leaving registrants who could not make the second date upset they could not get their money back.

Would-be racers in Newark, N.J.; Stockton, Calif.; and Dallas have dealt with similar scenarios.

Lisa Brown bought tickets last November for her family to participate in a race scheduled for April in Dallas. She said the race was canceled several days before its scheduled date because of weather concerns, but the weather ended up being clear. Then it was rescheduled for Oct. 10. Then it was rescheduled for Oct. 24.

Now it has been postponed indefinitely.

“It’s just been a bad experience,” Brown said.

Registration for the event is normally $40, but tickets can be obtained for less through a variety of Color Fun Fest promotions. The event is free for kids who are 12 and under. About 3,000 runners turned out for a race earlier this month in Chicago, and Color Fun Run marketing director Sandra Zinovyev posted Friday on Facebook that “about 12,000” people are “not too happy with us” after the company postponed the Dallas race again.

“I would just be careful about purchasing tickets,” Brown said. “Something might fall through, and you might be out money.”

Brown said the charity component of the race sparked her interest, but that she was disappointed to find that it was run by Color Fun Fest.

Taj said he hopes the race goes off without a hitch.

“I am not trying to trash this guy,” Taj said. “I just want people to be informed about what it is they’re signing up for.”

Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.